Stove construction



April 1937. A. H. TINNERMAN 2,078,471

STOVE CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Jan. 9, 1935 /6 I WT j 3 Z6 Z6 Z6 7 c: I /5 3A 3 J Hz; 1 Fig.2

INVENTOR. HA BERT H 77NNRNAN BY ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 27, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Original application January 9, 1935, Serial No. 1,009. Divided and this application November 4, 1935, Serial No. 48,173

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a stove construction and particularly to cooking ranges, which utilize either gas or electricity, as a source of fuel. The application comprises a division of my copend- 5 ing application, Serial No. 1,009 filed January 9,

1935, now Patent No. 2,039,614.

The modern demand for ranges which have enameled surfaces has necessitated the use of interfitting enameled panels, but experience has shown that such panels are .easily cracked, whenever two enameled parts are bolted to-.- gether. The cracking may not be apparent at the time the range is assembled, but it quickly becomes noticeable, particularly after the range is used, for the expansion and contraction against metal under alternate conditions of heating and cooling causes relative movement in the parts.

This is particularly apparent adjacent those panels, which must be securely held in position, as for example, those which are used on the front of a compartment closure and mounted upon a vertical hinge. Objection to the cracking and chipping of enamel is not concerned alone with.

prevents them from moving with relation to each other under the ordinary conditions of expansion and contraction during use.

Referring now to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a range illustrating the invention; Fig. .2 is a side elevation of the range; Fig. 3 is a section taken on an enlarged scale on the line 33 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 in Fig. 1 and showing the manner 40 of connecting the splash plate to the top plate, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the insert that is disposed between the splash plate and top plate.

I have illustrated the invention in connection with a range that has an oven door III, a broiler door II and a utensil compartment door I2. The range has side panels l3 and H, and a top plate l5 to which a splashplate or back it is attached. In Fig. 3, I have illustrated an end panel l3 as having a top flange 20, which is disposed in close promixity to a bottom flange 2| on the top plate l5. Accordingly to hold such flanges in assembled relationship without subjecting them to mechanical pressure which would damage the enameled surfaces I provide a non-enameled T-shaped strip of metal, such as stainless steel, the shank of which is disposed between the flanges 20 and ii, and the head 26 of which is positioned across the joint between the two panels. The flanges may then be locked together by a bolt 21 and a nut 28.

.I have found that the interposition of the strip of stainless steel between the enameled surfaces of the two connecting flanges is suflicient to avoid fracture of the enameled surface as a result of strains that are set up either during the assembly or use of the range. I have also found that the head of the interposed strip opv erates to hold the panels in alignment and yet allows the necessary slight degree of movement between the panels which is incident to the uneven application of heat during use. The slight degree of movement is facilitated by utilizing a nut 28 which has bolt engaging tongues that are struck upwardly from the body portion of the nut, and thus I have eliminated a strain which has caused crazing and chipping of the enameled parts and have provided a range which can be handled without undue care in shipment.

To prevent cracking and chipping of the enamel between the top panel and the splash plate, I prefer to utilize a spacer preferably of stainless steel, which is illustrated in the form of a rod 30 that has a lateral extension, preferably ln the form of tongues 8|. The tongues, as shown in Fig. 4, may be extended around the lowermost edge of the splash plate so as to hold the rod securely in place. The spaces between the tongues may be utilized for the passage of bolts that are employed for attaching the splash plate to the top plate.

My invention, so far as I am aware, has resulted in a range, which can be completely assembled with enameled parts at the factory and transported in a shipping crate to a dealer without requiring the dealer to set up the range or tighten certain parts to hold the enameled panels together. This has been a marked advance in the range industry for it eliminates the necessity for a dealer to maintain a service department for the purpose of setting up ranges that are shipped to him in crates. Moreover, the invention has minimized the hazard of checking and crazing which has always attended the fastening together of two enameled parts.

I claim:

1. In a joint structure comprising panels or the like having flanges disposed in superposed relation, the combination of a metallic spacer interposed between said panels, said spacer including spaced tongues against which the flanges of the panels are seated, and fastening means applied between said spaced tongues and connecting said flanges to secure the panels in as- 5 sembled relation, whereby a relatively yieldable joint is provided to compensate for manufacturing variations and strains set up in the assembly or incident to use of the structure.

2. In a joint structure comprising panels or 10 the like having flanges disposed in superposed relation, the combination of a metallic spacer interposed between said panels, said spacer including a bar adapted to conceal the joint between said panels and spaced-tongues against 15 which the flanges of the panels are seated, and fastening means applied in the space between said tongues and connecting said flanges to secure the panels in assembled relation, whereby a relatively yieldable joint is provided to compen- 20 sate for manufacturing variations and strains set up in the assembly or incident to use of the structure.

3. In a joint structure comprising panels or the like having flanges disposed in superposed relation, the combination of a metallic spacer interposed between said panels, said spacer including a bar adapted to conceal the joint between the panels and spaced tongues against which the flanges of the panels are seated, at least one of said tongues being of suflicient length to be bent around the flange edge of a panel for locking the spacer thereto, and fastening means applied between said spaced tongues and connecting said flanges to secure the panels in assembled relation, whereby a relatively yieldable joint is provided to compensate for manufacturing variations and strains set up in the assembly or incident to use of the structure.

ALBERT H. TINNERMAN. 

